Air starter safety system



April 30, 1963 a s. GRESKO 3,087,467

AIR STARTER SAFETY SYSTEM Filed Feb. 10, 1961 IN VENTOR RAYMO D S, GREsKo 6W M W ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,087,467 AIR STARTER SAFETY SYSTEM Raymond S. Gresko, Elyria, Ohio, assignor to Bendix- Westinghouse Automotive Air Brake Company, Elyria, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 10, 1961, Ser. No. 88,480 1 Claim. (Cl. 12137) This invention relates to air starter systems for engines and more particularly to safety interlock means for use with air starter systems.

Compressed air operated starting motors are frequently employed in the starting of engines of various types. The system of this invention will be confined for purposes of explanation to the automotive vehicle engine. The compressed air supply is usually car-ried on the vehicle in a suitable reservoir which also supplies pneumatic pressure for operating the brakes and various accessories. Flow of pressurized air to the starting motor is usually controlled by a manually operated valve, spring-urged to a normally closed position, and manually movable to an open position for connecting a relay valve on the motor with the air pressure reservoir. When air is admitted to the relay valve it is moved to open position to directly connect the air starter motor with the reservoir so that the former is operated to start the engine. Air starting motors are well known and when they are subjected to high pressure they emit a characteristic high-pitched whine or squeal. This fact is, of course, well known to the drivers of vehicles which employ air starting motors and frequently as a stunt or as an attention-getting device, drivers open the air-starting valve while the vehicle engine is running. The combination of air passing through the air starting motor plus the clashing of pinion and ring gear produces a whistling, howling noise which the drivers use as a form of horn or so-called wolf whistle. This causes damage to the ring gear, drive pinion and internal parts of the air starter.

A broad object of the present invention is to provide means for preventing the malpractice mentioned in the foregoing paragraph.

Yet another object of the invention is to accomplish the foregoing by the provision of means which would require the driver to remove both hands from the vehicles steering wheel in order to complete a connection between the air reservoir and the relay valve of the air starter motors.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to interpose in the connection between the manual and relay valves a second normally closed control valve which can be opened only by the manipulation of means remotely spaced with respect to the first manually operated control valve so that the operator must manipulate both valveoperating means simultaneously with both of his respective hands, which would require both hands to be off the steering wheel.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a system which accomplishes the foregoing and at the same time permits the air starter system to be eifectively locked against unauthorized operation.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent when the following detailed description is read in conjunction with the accompanying single figure which is a schematic illustration of an air starter system employing the features of the present invention.

With reference to the drawing, the air starter system shown is, in many respects, substantially conventional and comprises an air pressure reservoir which is connected by way of conduits 12 and 14 with inlet ports 16 and 18 of a respective air starter control valve 20 and a starter motor relay valve 22, the latter being connected to an air starter motor 24 by way of an outlet port 26 and a conduit 28. The air starter motor 24 is entirely conventional and is connected to the vehicle engine (not shown) in a manner well recognized in the art.

The air starter control valve 20 is of conventional construction and comprises a valve body 29 which is attached by suitable fasteners 30 to the dashboard 32 of the vehicle in a position convenient to one of the operators hands. The control valve illustrated includes a plunger 34 which may be pushed inwardly by the application of manual force to a handle, button or key operated member 36 against the pressure of a spring 38 to unseat a valve 49 which is normally urged to a closed position against a valve seat 42 by a spring 44. The plunger 34 contains an exhaust passage 46 which is connected at one end to atmosphere by way of a cross passage 48 which com municates at all times with a passage 50 in the valve body. The exhaust passage 46 is closed off by the valve 40 when the plunger 34 is pushed to the left so as to unseat the valve 40 thereby connecting the inlet port 16 with an outlet port 51. The degree of movement of the plunger 34 is determined by a stationary pin 52 which is connected to the valve body 29 and is received in an enlarged aperture 54 in the plunger body as shown. Pressure admitted to the outlet port 51 is isolated from the exhaust passage 50 by means of a piston-like part 56 on the plunger 34 and connected to the outlet port 51 is a conduit 58 leading to the inlet port 60 of a second valve member 62 which, in accordance with the invention, is connected in series between the control and relay valves 20, 22.

The valve member 62 is substantially identical to the valve 20 and comprises a normally closed valve element 64 which is moved to open position upon the downward movement of an exhaust plunger 66 to connect the inlet port 60 with an outlet port 68 which is connected by way of a conduit 70 to a control port 72 of'the relay valve 22. Movement of the exhaust plunger 66 of the valve 62 may be controlled in a variety of ways but is preferably controlled by means of a solenoid 74 whose energization from the vehicle battery 75 is controlled by a normally open switch member 76 having suitable manually operable means such as the handle 77 mounted on the dashboard 32 of the vehicle in a position remote from the plunger handle 36 of the valve 20 but still sufliciently close to the operators position so that he can reach the switch 76 with one of his hands at the same time that he engages the handle 36 with the other of his hands. It should be understood that the switch 76 and handle 36 are spaced a sufficient distance apart so that both cannot be reached simultaneously with one hand only of the operators hands.

From the foregoing it should be apparent that when the operator desires to start the vehicle engine he pushes the handle 36 of the valve 20 inwardly to unseat valve member 43 and connect the reservoir 10 with the conduit 58 thereby admitting fluid pressure to the inlet port 60 of the valve 62 where further flow is stopped until such time as the valve 64 is moved to open position by energization of the solenoid 74 which can take place only when the switch 76 is moved to closed position. Upon this occurrence the valve 64 is opened and fluid pressure is admitted to conduit 70 and the control port 72 of the relay valve 22. Pressure at the control port 72 acts on a relay piston 78 forcing this to move to the right in the drawing against the pressure of a spring 80 to unseat a valve element 82 and connect the inlet port 18 of the relay valve with the outlet port 26 thereby effecting operation of the starter motor 24. When either of the operators hands are removed from either the switch handle 77 or the valve handle 36 further flow of fluid pressure to the relay valve 22 is immediately cut off and the valve member 82 moves to closed position as the pressure at the control port 72 is released to atmosphere either through the'exhaust passage 34 of the solenoid valve 62 or the exhaust passage 56 of the valve 20.

Drivers of heavy vehicles which employ air starter motors, are, almost without exception, safety conscious and one of the rules of safe driving requires that at least one of the operators hands shall be on the steering wheel at all times while the vehicle is being driven. Because the present invention requires the operator to use both hands to effect operation of the air starter motor the great majority of drivers will not risk their vehicle by taking both hands off the wheel at the same time merely for the purpose of attracting attention by operation of the air starter motor while the vehicle engine is running. The present invention is now being used on many vehicles, with a resulting marked decrease in damage to the starter motor mechanism which has heretofore been attributed to the malpractice herein described.

It will be apparent that the present invention is applicable to any type of engine employing air starting means and where the vehicle engine employs an ignition system the switch 76 could be a key controlled switch of the well known type which is spring-urged to open position and is moved to closed position against the spring when the key is partially turned. When the vehicle engine is of the pure diesel type, which does not employ an ignition system as this term is understood in the art, by arranging the switch 76 so that it is key controlled as just described, the operator can lock and unlock the starting circuit substantially as in the case of a vehicle which employs an electric starting system. Thus the invention has two important features, one of which is the effective prevention of starter motor operation while the engine is running and the other of which is the ability of the starter system to be locked against unauthorized operation during the operators absence. It will, however, be apparent that the second valve 62 could, if desired, be identical to the valve 20 which would be operable by a handle identical to the handle 36 but being spaced o the dashboard a sufficient distance so that both hands of the operator are required to complete the fluid circuit from the reservoir to the control port of the relay valve 22.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the system of the invention is susceptible of various modifications and changes, other than those specifically mentioned, without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In combination with an air-starter system for starting the internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle having a dashboard, said system including a fluid pressure reservoir, an air-stater motor, a normally closed valve for controlling a connection between said reservoir and said airstarter motor, and manually movable valve controlling means connected to said dashboard for opening said valve, the invention which includes a second normally closed valve connected in series with said first valve, a second manually movable valve controlling means connected to said dashboard for opening said second valve, the connection of said second valve controlling means with said dashboard being spaced a distance away from the connection of said first valve controlling means with said dashboard whereby both valve controlling means are incapable of simultaneous operation by a single hand of an operator, said second valve being of the solenoid operated variety and being movable to open position upon energization of said solenoid, said second manually movable valve controlling means comprising a normally open switch and switch operating means connected to said dashboard in spaced relationship with respect to said first manually movable valve controlling means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,063,141 Spohrer May 27, 1913 1,080,482 Roberts Dec. 2, 1913 2,105,253 Malott Jan. 11, 1938 2,341,696 Davis Feb, 15, 1944 2,446,691 Clyde et a1. Aug. 10, 1948 2,636,581 Bitler Apr. 28, 1953 2,737,928 Neff et a1 Mar. 13, 1956 

